Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Man who stole beer using inhaler smashed police car window with his head

A California man is facing charges after police say he used an inhaler to steal beer from two men before using his head to break the window of a police cruiser. According to a Clover Police report, officers were called to the Kangaroo Express on the 400 block of Main Street early on Tuesday morning around 1:41 a.m. to the report of an armed robbery. Officers spoke to two men who said they were walking along the sidewalk after buying beer and were approached by a man who pointed what appeared to be a silver pistol at them and demanded their beer. The report indicates that the armed man threatened to kill them if they didn't hand over their beer.

The man, later identified as 23-year-old Ashton Graham of California, then ran away from the scene with a case of Keystone Ice and a case of Budweiser beer. Officers called the York County Sheriff's Office to ask for assistance from the department's K-9 unit to track Graham. Investigators followed a trail of beer cans and empty cartons as the K-9 unit tracked Graham. 911 dispatchers notified officers that employees from the Honeywell Safety Products on Jackson Heights had called and said that a male covered in blood was on their property and "acting very strange." Employees told officers that the man was "very intoxicated and told them that he had been assaulted by three black males," the Clover Police report states.

When employees told Graham they were calling police, he reportedly "got up off the sidewalk, fell down and dropped a Budweiser beer out of his pocket and got back up." That's when ran out into the field behind the company, employees told police. The York County Sheriff's Office K-9 units were able to track Graham to the woods behind the building and he was placed into custody. Police say when he was being lead to the patrol car he became extremely agitated and very combative with officers. According to the York County Sheriff's report, Graham stared at deputies and screamed "What the [expletive] are you looking at?" in an aggressive tone. Graham reportedly continued to swear and use profanity towards deputies as they patted him down to check for weapons.

A deputy located what appeared to be a cap to an asthma inhaler in Graham's pocket. When the deputy asked Graham if he had an inhaler and he replied "yes, I have [expletive] asthma," the report states. That's when deputies and police say Graham reared his head backwards, slamming it into back window, shattering the window. While Graham was being transported to Piedmont Medical Center to have his injuries treated, he told officers that he had used an inhaler to look like a weapon during the robbery, the Clover police report states. Graham has been charged with Armed Robbery and Damage to Town Property. He's being held at the Moss Justice Detention Center under a $7,470 bond.